The World Nativities Tour at Glencairn Museum

Today, Marty and I headed out on an adventure, to the Glencairn Museum, located not far from Philadelphia.  The museum has been closed for renovations for 18 months, but recently re-opened its doors, offering a special "Christmas in the Castle" tour.  That certainly sounded intriguing and we've probably seen more than our share of castles, but definitely not one so close to home.  And most definitely not one where 65+ Nativities would be on display for our viewing.  How could we resist?

The museum is located in the Historic District of Bryn Athyn.  This was a religious community founded on the theological writing of the Swedish scientist and philosopher, Emanuel Swedenborg.  He believed that the Kingdom of God is spread throughout the world, including all people, regardless of religion or culture.  The Pitcairn family, who hailed from Scotland, were members of this "New Church" and they were instrumental in the building of a school that stressed the New Church philosophy as well as the Bryn Athyn Cathedral that stands on these same grounds. 

The castle, built by Raymond Pitcairn, was actually a family home, where he and his spouse, Mildred, raised nine children. Stories tell of family gatherings filling the dining hall, and grandchildren romping with glee throughout the many rooms inside. 

Walking through the front doors, we were greeted by a lovely young lady who directed us through the doors,  

past the tree, 

and to the main hall, where we met up with our tour guide, Nick. 

This young man was a delight and he kept us enthralled throughout the entire tour.  At the beginning of the tour, he mentioned that he understood that not everyone has the same beliefs regarding the nativity.  But, he encouraged all to try to see the mindset of those who did believe while viewing the various collections along the way.

The first item on our tour was a painted ceramic tile representation of the first Nativity scene, which was gifted to the museum by Brother Bob Reinke.  It portrays St. Francis of Assisi with his "live" nativity as it would have been 800 years ago in the village of Greccio, Italy. 

Around the corner, we came to a Nativity from Naples, known as a Presepio. Nick explained that  artists would portray the event reflective of the time period and surroundings of the day.  This Presepio represents Naples in the daily life of the 18th century. 

Figures are clothed in period costumes of the day.  Here you see the Inn in Bethlehem. 

as well as the Nativity.  The first photo shows the heavenly angels descending from above. 

The details were amazing!

We headed from the main hall to the dining room.

The painting above the fireplace is a replica, as the original had been damaged upon repair.  The source of the painting was a children's book, authored by good friends of the Pitcairns.  With permission, they had the story picture painted by a local artist, and it was hung in this spot every Christmas season.  

Through the door and back to the main entrance, Nick took us to a hidden elevator which carried us to the top floor.  There we could step outside to admire the views. 

Look carefully and you will see the Philadelphia sky line in the distance. 

And here you can see the Bryn Athyn Cathedral in the near distance. 

We moved downstairs to the chapel where the family held devotions each evening. I neglected to mention that nearly every wall and ceiling space was adorned with mosaic tiles.  The chapel ceiling was no exception. 

The story of the Nativity is reflected in this stain glass window.  In the top is the annunciation, then the nativity, the adoration of the Magi, and,  on the bottom, the flight into Egypt.  

These spectacular windows were actually made by local artisans who had meticulously studied those made for medieval churches in Europe,  and I'd say that they were certainly adept in their handiwork. 

Down the hall, one of the former bedrooms held artifacts that the family had collected from Europe.  There was an 11th century window from a cathedral in Saint Denis, near Paris. 

as well as a Book of Hours from the 15th century, as part of the collection. 

In the hallway there was a Bryn Athyn Nativity on display.  It was designed in 2015, and, like the Precepio, reflects the Nativity as it would be in the Castle. 

You might note the recreation of the fireplace with the featured painting previously mentioned, as part of the display. 

Further down the hall,  we entered the library, which was connected to the master bedroom.  Here we saw family collectibles on display as well as some creations from local artists. 

It's believed that this reindeer and Santa was purchased at the Wannamakers in Philadelphia by the family. 

The deer pulling the elf on the pinecone was made by children in the family.  The well loved styrofoam carousel was imported from Japan. 

The carvings on the bedpost were entertaining:  two kissing doves, hand carved. 

Back downstairs, we were once again in the main room, admiring the large tree with 176 vintage Italian figures underneath, recently donated by A.J. DiAntonio this year. 

To the left stands this 1925 collection depicting three scenes: 

The Angles announcing to the shepherds

the adoration of the Magi, 

and the Nativity.

And now a representation of some of the unique Nativities on display:

The Nordic Julekrybbe

Nativity Nook Book

Bjorn Kohler Nativity from Saxony, Germany

Nativity from Oberammergau

Puelbo Indian Nacimiento from Taos Pueblo, New Mexico

Nativity with Corontia, Cordova, New Mexico, made by Aspen wood.

Danish Nativity

I really enjoyed the kings.

Polish Birch Wood Nativity

Puppet Nativity

Nativity from Cameroon

The Faceless Nativity from the Dominican Republic

One from Venezuela made from Banana Leaves

and a Peruvian Nativity

Obviously, I can't feature all of these unique creations, but I do hope that you have enjoyed the ones that caught my particular attention. 

These delights took center stage, but there were still permanent artifacts that caught my eye. 

Saint Barbara!

and a Flemish tapestry from the 15th century.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention this Steiff Donkey, nestled in a corner of the room.  These were made in Germany in the 1940's, and we were told that every year, the grandchildren were delighted to be able to scoot along the floor on one of these unique ring toys. 

And at that, I'm going to call it a day and wrap this up!

It certainly was a lot of fun touring this unique venue.  If you live nearby, I highly recommend that you book a tour of the castle, but you can just enter to view the nativities without the tour, if you choose.  In the meantime, if you are interested in following the Glencairn Advent Calendar of Nativities, then you should check out this site:  https://www.glencairnmuseum.org/advent-calendar-2023-home

Each day you click on the golden door to view that day's Nativity.  Be sure to let me know what you think!

Enjoy, and may you have a blessed Advent season yourselves!

Revisiting Winterthur

On Wednesday, Marty and I decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather and make a trip to the former DuPont estate, known as Winterthur.  The weather was a bit nippy, but the sun was bright in the sky, so we decided to walk from the parking lot, which was a delight in itself, as we found ourselves trodding under a trestle bridge loaded with twinkle lights, resulting in quite a magical look.

Along the path, we passed the green houses which had several decorated trees for our enjoyment.  I took several photos, but they somehow have disappeared from my phone.  I'm not quite sure how that happened, but I did manage to find one to share. 

Soon we found ourselves strolling along a stone path lined with lanterns, with the house in the distance. 

We entered the sunroom that adjoins the house to once again enjoy the adorned stone eagle and the tree that is constructed each year from flowers that have been picked and dried from the many species on the grounds of this estate. 

 If you recall, last year's holiday display featured Christmas trees which were decorated to represent the passions of selected Presidential First Ladies.  We enjoyed seeing the clever displays of evergreens enhancing the rooms as we toured through the mansion.

It didn't take long for us to realize that this year's tour was quite different. 

The dress that you see in the distance is a recreation from the original designed by Anne Lowe, a woman highly esteemed as a famous courtier fashion designer.  Her story is quite remarkable as she was the granddaughter of an enslaved woman who in her own rights, had an unusual talent for dress making.  

Anne's talents were recognized at a very young age, as she was designing her own patterns at the age of ten. A Tampa socialite hired her to design and create gowns for her twin daughters, and soon, Anne's dresses were highly esteemed and she would find herself featured in Vogue magazine.  

The theme throughout the house was based on several chosen creations designed by Anne Lowe.   Some were trees that reflected a particular ballgown

and some were copies of a dress design.

And, then, there were some old fashioned Christmas decorations to delight us.

There is a gallery adjacent to the house which tells the story of Anne's career and features many of the dresses that she designed over the years.  Some are recreations...others are originals.   Here are just a few that I found particularly enchanting. 

Anne designed the wedding gown for Jaqueline Bouvier Kennedy.  There was a copy on display, but it seemed to be the eye of the crowd, so I didn't have the opportunity to take a photo.  

The Smithsonian asked her to make miniature duplicates of all of the First Ladies Inauguration Ball Gowns.  Two were on display behind glass for protection. 

Being a former seamstress myself, I could appreciate the fine details in the design and sewing of these amazing creations.  But it was obvious that Marty wasn't as enthralled as I, so we decided that we had seen enough and that we would get outside to walk back to the visitor center. 

But, not before stopping to see the gingerbread creation which was a representation of the "Enchanted Garden" featured on the grounds of the estate.   

Let me mention here that it smelled amazing!  

We headed outside to the reflection pond

which features a lovely view of the house in the background, 

and we strolled along the path until we came to the Enchanted Garden.

This was when I could appreciate the fine details that had gone into the gingerbread creations. 

Very entertaining. 

Our last stop was the Sundial Garden before heading home. 

Touring the decorated mansion prompted us to finish hanging the outside lights on our own house.  But as soon as we walked outside with decorations in hand, the weather changed from sunny and bright to cloudy, windy and cold, and it certainly didn't take long for my fingertips to feel frozen!  

So much for that brilliant idea.   Luckily, it was warm and toasty inside.  

Hope you enjoyed my our adventures to Winterthur. We look forward to revisiting in the spring when the grounds will be filled with luscious blooms to enjoy.  I'll be sure to keep you posted!